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Dec 2015
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Talaash
Have you ever watched a film and felt it had everything going for it, yet something didn’t quite add up? That you weren’t blown away despite liking so many individual elements in it? That’s how I felt as I left the hall after Talaash.
Dec 2012
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Jab Tak Hai Jaan
...fun first half; emotional despite its numerous flaws; and the ending did have me on edge; but … overly long and dull second half; incongruous casting; disappointing music.
Nov 2012
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Rowdy Rathore
...is so hilarious that it almost made me forget everything that angried me in the film!
Jun 2012
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Saare Jahaan Se Mehnga
Whoever said "well begun is half done" forgot to add that half done still means another halfway to go, and Saare Jahaan Se Mehnga doesn't manage that journey. This is a sweet film, but it should have been so much more.
Mar 2013
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Sep 2012
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Airlift
...is Argo with a split personality, songs and questionable fidelity to facts.
Jan 2016
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The Ghazi Attack
...70% cracking suspense (which is remarkable since we know the outcome from the start), 30% clumsy deshbhakti and mawkishness.
Feb 2017
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Sep 2016
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Bol Bachchan
His(Ajay Devgn) acting, his characterisation by the writing team, and the absolute and deliberate defiance of logic in the writing and delivery of his dialogues are what make Bol Bachchan worth a watch.
Jul 2012
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Aiyyaa
If the story and characters had not been stretched so much, Aiyyaa could have been special.
Oct 2012
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Hindi Medium
The film’s achievement is that it tells us things we already know yet forces us to think about them, and has lots of fun while doing so.
May 2017
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Fitoor
The pain, the rejection, the searing desire for revenge, the all-conquering power of love – none of it is adequately conveyed in this film which, by the time its final scene rolled around, left me as cold and detached as Estella’s heart was when she first met Pip.
Feb 2016
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Saat Uchhakkey
...stands out for its excellent casting, excellent acting and – when it is not self-conscious – excellent humour. Now if only that had been enough...
Oct 2016
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ABCD - Any Body Can Dance - 2
If only a teeny bit more attention had been paid to the writing of ABCD 2, this could have been a great film. Well, even with its blemishes, it is remarkably entertaining.
Jun 2015
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Happy Bhag Jayegi
Aziz obviously has a flair for comedy but he needs to work on it. What he desperately needed here was either more time and thought, or a co-writer to help him build on the starting blocks he set up.
Aug 2016
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Satyagraha
There are places where Satyagraha is truly compelling, heart-wrenching and unpredictable, but too much of the time, it defies probability and is just too painful to the ears.
Aug 2013
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Traffic
Drama is intrinsic to these situations and to the larger, multi-cultural Indian reality, without the crutch of high-decibel songs or explicit moralising. If Team Traffic had understood that, this could have been a great film. As things stand, it is an uneven, unsatisfying ride.
May 2016
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Tiger Zinda Hai
If you can see Tiger Zinda Hai for what it is, you too may not mind its unabashed blend of swag, silliness and schmaltz.
Dec 2017
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Udta Punjab
It is a mystery why this film was allowed to come undone despite the tremendously gifted individuals involved and the extreme poignancy plus conviction of the first half.
Jun 2016
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Phillauri
Too many Hindi films are lost to the curse of the second half. Fortunately for Phillauri, its affliction is the exact opposite.
Mar 2017
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Tubelight
...with Tubelight, my glass is half full and not half empty. When your head points out several exasperating aspects of a film and you still find yourself weeping with it, there is something to be said about the director’s ability to strike an emotional chord.
Jun 2017
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Wazir
Although Wazir falls flat on its face as a thriller when you consider the question posed earlier in this review, it does work in other departments.
Jan 2016
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Jolly LLB 2
...it pulls off humour and emotional resonance in several places, but those passages are also a reminder of what might have been if more time and thought had been invested in the writing of this film as a whole.
Feb 2017
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Hichki
The film itself is not without its faults, but its uplifting theme and Mukerji’s understated performance serve as compensation.
Mar 2018
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Aligarh
Despite a sterling performance by Manoj Bajpayee and other positives, Aligarh ends up being an inconsistent biopic – on the one hand providing a beautiful portrait of reclusiveness, yet elsewhere doing a disservice to a man to whom this country owes an apology.
Feb 2016
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Revolver Rani
...has many wonderful moments and ideas, but as a whole it’s neither satirical enough nor farcical enough nor intense enough nor thrilling enough to be what it seems to want to be.
Apr 2014
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Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
...is not an immersive experience and after a while I lost interest in its rigmarole of relationships, the many datings and matings, break-ups and patch-ups, marriages, divorces, friendships and the one-way scenarios involved.
Oct 2016
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Dabangg 2
The film is fun and funny only in parts, not a complete washout but certainly a completely unworthy successor to Dabangg.
Dec 2012